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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29256084">New Boy (On the Block) in the Mind</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moldie_Feelings/pseuds/Moldie_Feelings'>Moldie_Feelings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ghost Eyes DID AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ghost Eyes (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alters, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Gen, New Alter, Splitting (DID)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:20:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,861</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29256084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moldie_Feelings/pseuds/Moldie_Feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After noticing unfamiliar handwriting and stretches of time that are not accounted for, Tobias and the system come to the conclusion there is probably a new alter among them.<br/>It's a bit of a struggle to actually meet him, though.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ghost Eyes DID AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847185</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>New Boy (On the Block) in the Mind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Does not include those several sweet weeks of denial where you go "there's no way. Absolutely no way" and then the alter actually responds and you're like "yes way??? dammit." [this is a joke, every system is different]<br/>Anyway more info on Etwald in end notes. Hope he's a welcome addition to the AU.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tobias knew it was going to be a long couple of weeks the moment he tuned back in to see unfamiliar handwriting on his notebook.</p><p>It wasn’t that everyone had distinct handwriting, it was just that the differences were noticeable if one knew what to look for. Gretel kept her pencils sharpened to a thin point and wrote neatly with a loose grip on her pencils, for example. Tobias, on the other hand, was prone to snapping pencils with the force he exerted on them. His handwriting was still neat, but darker and harsher. Nothingness wrote primarily in cursive. Mario wrote like he had never learned how to grip a pencil quite right, Tobi wrote somewhat messily, The Angel didn’t write much if at all, and Nothingness had told him that Matt also wrote in cursive. (From the outside, it probably just looked like one boy who could sometimes be fancy with his handwriting.)</p><p>So who was this? It was loose and light like Gretel’s writing, but much more decorative in nature. There were doodles in the margins and hearts dotting the ‘i’s. The headers were bubbly.</p><p>The notebook looked less like the notes of a serious high schooler and more like the notes of a lovestruck child.</p><p>Tobias glowered at the older notes as he wrote new ones to keep up with the lecture.</p><p>The pencil’s point snapped on him five times, and the paper was intended with the pressure for pages to follow.</p><p>
  <em>There is no way something as pathetic as public school could have been so stressful we fractured again. There’s just no fucking way.</em>
</p><p>•••</p><p>Etwald knew very little about the people he pretended to be some boy named Tobias with. He wasn’t sure why this happened at all, really. He would just happen to be there, in some smaller person’s body in school.</p><p>Etwald found it difficult. Tobias, he had learned, only had one friend, and that one friend, although extremely cool, seem put off by Etwald.</p><p>Etwald, with the vague recollection of being surrounded by friends and in several afterschool clubs, found it jarring. The names and faces were at the tip of his tongue. All his friends were like him: nice, outgoing, cheery, and colorful.</p><p>Being plain, quiet, cynical Tobias with a boring wardrobe was… exhausting.</p><p>Still, he liked Rudy. The boy had a similar sense of fashion to him. He was constantly in pretty clothes and patterned sweaters.</p><p>Etwald didn’t know why, but he couldn’t tell Rudy about how he was actually named Etwald. He had to pretend to be Tobias. It was unfair, really.</p><p>•••</p><p>Gretel didn’t necessarily <em>mind</em> the Inside. It was rare she saw it, as her experience was more of a ‘one moment I was washing dishes, the next I know it’s been a few days and I’m in the Closet’ when it came to not being outside, but she’d seen the place a few times.</p><p>Well, the common portion. When she knew she had left the front vacant following a startling loud noise, she expected to be in a small clearing with trees so tall they covered the black sky and a bench and a rusty swing set that somehow never fell apart waiting for her. She expected to settle down on a swing with its peeling blue paint and watch the dirt waiting for worms to come out until it was her time to go outside again.</p><p>Instead, she was in a small, black room with no doors or windows. There was no light, only darkness. She knew it was cold despite not feeling the temperature.</p><p>She also knew she wasn’t alone. Gretel clasped her hands to her torso, a nervous habit she’d gained from Tobias.</p><p>
  <em>“Hello?”</em>
</p><p>Her voiceless thought echoed.</p><p>
  <em>“Hello, Gretel.”</em>
</p><p>The darkness became solid and warm, twisting around her in a circle as if encompassing her. The shadows blended into a large, flowing, black dress. The sleeves were too long and dark to see the hands underneath. Long, black hair covered the face and eyes of the entity, but Gretel still knew where to look to make eye contact. She offered a reassuring smile.</p><p>
  <em>“Ah, Nothingness. I’m in your corner. Am I supposed to be here?”</em>
</p><p>Nothingness had a better grasp on the Inside than the rest of them. She could add stars to the perpetually black sky of the clearing, or add a game of hopscotch, or bar some people from entering certain areas or talking to each other. Surely, if Gretel was here instead of the clearing (or instead of simply being asleep or in a trance until she found her way outside), Nothingness had made it so.</p><p><em>“Yes, dear.”</em> The warm shadow crept up to pat Gretel’s head. Gretel ducked her head in response and leaned into the touch. <em>“I wanted to talk to you about something.”</em></p><p><em>“What is it?”</em> Gretel asked. She reached with hands she couldn’t see to grasp Nothingness’ large arm. Nothingness cooed in response, and the shadows of the room wrapped Gretel up like a cocoon.</p><p>
  <em>“I was wondering if you knew about the most recent addition to the family.”</em>
</p><p>Nothingness called them a family. Nobody else really agreed with her; the thought of being related to The Angel made Gretel feel weird. Still, she understood.</p><p>She was a big sister, after all.</p><p>Gretel offered an uncertain expression.</p><p>
  <em>“Kind of. Tobias started yelling at me about how I shouldn’t doodle. I told him I hadn’t doodled at all and he had the wrong person. So we were brainstorming and realized that means someone new is on the team.”</em>
</p><p>Gretel had felt glimpses here and there. A general feeling of pink and yellow. Colorful band-aids and stickers. An energy that felt like Rudy but <em>different</em>.</p><p>Thoughts that weren’t hers of <em>I can’t wait to go home and play video games</em>, and <em>wish my friends were here</em>, and <em>this is so boring</em>.</p><p>Gretel could see stray brands of long, silky black hair fall on her. She took her hands and brushed them back into place. Nothingness was everywhere in this room.</p><p><em>“Yes, I’ve been… holding you back from meeting. Well,”</em> and Gretel had no idea Nothingness of all people could sound somewhat bashful, <em>“I was keeping him away from Tobias and that accidentally extended to keeping you in the dark, too. Do you want to meet him?”</em></p><p>Gretel hummed to herself.</p><p>
  <em>“That would be nice.”</em>
</p><p>•••</p><p>Etwald was listening to Rudy talk about a cute outfit he’d seen on TV when he felt her. A girl a little younger than him, with a polite, gray air around her.</p><p>He still didn’t know how it worked, the sensing these people thing, but he let it slide. He tried to remain impassive and not tip Rudy off to the girl in his brain.</p><p>
  <em>“Etwald, right?”</em>
</p><p>Compared to the other two he’d met she had no voice. But he still <em>knew</em> it was a young, clear voice? It was hard to explain to himself, so he ignored that thought.</p><p>
  <em>Yeah, but American friends call me Waldo. What’s up, kiddo?</em>
</p><p>The confusion radiated off of her.</p><p>
  <em>“Well, hello mister Etwald! My name’s Gretel. We would have talked sooner but Nothingness accidentally kept us from properly meeting.”</em>
</p><p>Right, that weird lady who said she was more of a concept than a person. He tuned back in to Rudy, who was now talking about how he was saving up for a new lip gloss. That sounded so fun!</p><p>“I think you should go for a peachy tone,” he said. Rudy thought it over.</p><p>“You think so? I thought a deeper reddish-pink would make my eyes pop.”</p><p>“You have a point, but the peachy pink would make your hair’s natural pinkish color pop, which would make your eyes look even more amazing.”</p><p>“…Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Tobias. I didn’t know you knew so much about makeup!”</p><p>The girl seemed nervous.</p><p>
  <em>“Mister, what are you doing?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Keeping Rudy from making a poor decision.”</em> Her anxiety was rubbing off on him. Ugh. Now he felt a little shaky.</p><p><em>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to- um.”</em> Right, she could also feel his thoughts or something like that. He should be nicer. <em>“It’s just that none of us know about makeup like you do, so it’d be jarring for Rudy if he asked for advice and the rest of us could answer like you. Please be careful?”</em></p><p>“Tobias? Are you okay?” Rudy asked.</p><p>Two conversations at once was making Etwald’s head hurt. He was <em>not</em> fine. He wanted his cat-shaped bean bag and a steaming cup of tea.</p><p>“I’m okay,” he said instead.</p><p>
  <em>“Oh, you’re tired. Do you think you can let me handle the rest of this so you can rest?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m not five. I don’t need nap time or whatever.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We’re a team though. I can cover for you.”</em>
</p><p>She was nudging her way through. He found himself sitting more ‘properly’ and having a soft, placid smile. His hands were folded on his lap and his head hurt less.</p><p>
  <em>“I’ll handle it. Thank you for trusting me Mister Etwald!”</em>
</p><p>Etwald felt Gretel forming words and picking up conversation, but he couldn’t understand anything. Everything was foggy, too.</p><p>He hated sharing like this. Whatever. He’d go back to being himself soon, he hoped. This Tobias thing was worse than his summer part-time job.</p><p>•••</p><p>Tobias felt irritation pool in his limbs as Gretel explained. He kept his eyes trained on his prayer journal, though. From the outside, it probably just looked like he was contemplating or ruminating instead of chewing out his… kind-of sister for covering for Nothingness.</p><p>
  <em>“So Nothingness is just keeping things? I hate it when she does that. I need to let this Etwald know he can’t embarrass me like that.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Now, Tobias; calm down. Breathe.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Is he even Christian?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Uh…” </em>her pause was all the answer he needed. Tobias rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply.</p><p>
  <em>“I’m going to—”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey, no threatening!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You can’t control me!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…Please? I know you’re upset, but I’m sure we can talk it out, even if it takes a while.”</em>
</p><p>His shoulders untensed. His eyes sharpened. If he could actually look at Gretel he’d glare at her.</p><p>
  <em>“Can you not? I hate it when you force-feed me your stupid feelings.”</em>
</p><p>After a few seconds, the sparks of foreign tranquility left him and he was left to his irate tension. Her apologetic aura still lingered, but he tried not to hold that against her.</p><p>
  <em>“Sorry about that. Still, maybe you should take a deep breath and unclench your jaw. Maybe you’ll feel at least a little better. Then we can plan how to talk to mister Etwald about how he needs to be more careful.”</em>
</p><p>Tobias forced himself to unclench his jaw. Gretel was right, unfortunately. Etwald sounded like he wouldn’t listen to yelling and empty threats. He had to think critically in order to get the ideal result.</p><p>
  <em>“Okay, after you finish your journal we can—”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t tell me what to do.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay. You’re right. You can take care of yourself. Take your time.”</em>
</p><p>Tobias felt her go silent but still watch. He wrote in his prater journal.</p><p>“Lord, give me patience.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, so!<br/>Etwald is a light link-haired boy in his senior year of high school who only knows play games, goof off with friends, eat chip, and nap on bean bag.<br/>A more serious description: Etwald is an alter formed by the stress of being surrounded by a bunch of strangers for several hours several days a week. In response to that social stress, he is made to be a sociable and fun-loving guy with a sense of fashion that can be described as "bright colors and pastels". He wears color band-aids and stickers on his face for the aesthetic. His favorite color is pink. He is terrible at chores and homework but somehow has a clean room and is a straight-A student. He is from Germany but has spent most of his life in the US, and his large group of friends typically call him Waldo. Part 'just because' and part 'he owns one sweater that kinda looks like Waldo'. He has very little fear and is confident. It takes a lot to shake him.<br/>That being said, Etwald's memories are not real, as he is an alter in a system.<br/>Etwald is one of the few alters with no traumatic memories assigned to him.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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